News

Monument to Sergeant Pilots Dedicated in Alabama

6/13/2014

AFA Caption

BodyText

Officials unveiled a monument at the Air Force’s Enlisted Heritage Hall in Montgomery, Ala., to US sergeant pilots, the enlisted aviators who served in World War I, World War II, and out to 1957. "They were men, who during a time of
crisis, did not shrink from service to our country, and instead they courageously fought to defend and aid those around them," said Gen. Robin Rand, head of Air Education and Training Command, who presided over the June 9 dedication ceremony. Hall staff, along with former sergeant pilots and their families, raised more than $60,000 to make the monument a reality, according to a June 12 release. The monument depicts Corp. Vernon Burge, the Army Signal Corps' first enlisted pilot; it honors the service and sacrifices of the nearly 3,000 sergeant pilots, more than 150 of whom were killed in action, states the release. (Maxwell report by TSgt. Sarah Loicano) (For more on the Enlisted Heritage Hall, see Honoring Enlisted Contributions to Airpowerfrom May’s issue of Wingman Magazine.)